Improvement in letter-boxes for post-offices



UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

G. H. BRADLEY, OF WESTOHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

' IMPROVEMENT IN LETTER-BOXES FOR POST-OFFICES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,879, dated September 15, 1863; antedated January 11, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, G. H. BRADLEY, of Westchester, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Letter-Boxes for Post-Offices and Similar Purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a face or front view of my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, taken in the lineacw, Fig.1 Fig. 3, a vertical section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a box or case which may be of rectangular form and of any suitable dimensions. The front ofthis box or caseis formed ofa plate of glass, (1, the back ofthe box or case being open. At the center of the box or case A there is a central partition, b, which is equal in width to the box or case. compartment of the box A formed by the partition bis subdivided into pigeonholes or compartments by means ot'horizontal partitions 0. These partitions are arranged so as to slide in and out of the box or case A, and to eit'ect this the inner'surfaces of the sides of the box or case, as well as the sides ofthe partition 1;, are grooved horizontally, as shown at d, to receive the edges of the partitions 0. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) To the front end of each partition 0 there is attached an upright plate, e, which serves to catch against the letters or other artioles that may be deposited on the partition 0 when the latter is drawn out.

' the letters, it is only necessary to pull out the partition a short distance, and in this manner a very large number of boxes may bear.- ranged in a small space. No lettering or nu m- Each.

To take out bering is placed upon the glass; but the front of the plate 0, or that part which is presented toward the glass, is intended to have upon it the initialletter of the addresses painted. (See Fig. 1.) The same initial-letter is used for several compartments, numerals being used with the letter, as A, A A &c. By this arrangement it will be seen that a parcel of letters, the addresses of which have the same initial, may be subdivided and assorted so that any particular addressin the parcel may be titted in grooves 07, it will be seen that more or less of them may be used, as desired, and the capacity of the compartments increased or d1- minished, as required, and as each partition 0 has its letter attachedto it, it will be seen that the removal of any of the partitions or the addition of any will not affect the plan or mode of classification described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with the sliding partitions c, otthe plates 0, as herein shown and described, so that the letters may be easily removed, the boxes arranged within a small space, the arrangement changed as desired, and so that the alphabetical arrangement of the boxes will be clearly visible from the exterior of the boxes Without lettering or painting on the glass, all as herein set forth.

' (J. H. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

Gnonen W. HAWLEY, WM. WHITEHEAD. 

